Information is Power
by emillywinter
Summary: Izaya finds an app that, when he types in the name of a person, reveals a single secret they hide. To his surprise, when he types in his own name the app responds with big, fat, black words painted across the screen, providing him with the secret that he doesn't even know about.


**Information is Power**

It is late Friday night and he doesn't have anywhere to be. His jobs are done, chat rooms are silent, and it has been long hours since Namie left for the week. He is alone in his big apartment and he doesn't have anything to do.

Izaya is scrolling through the web, searching the way to kill the boredom he is feeling; when he finds an app that looks like it is almost designed for him. He smiles even when he thinks that it must be a fake. It is simply too good to be true. Nevertheless, he still downloads it into his phone and he tries it out.

It works like this: you type a name of a person and the app provides you the information related to that person's secret.

He is more than amused when he types Namie's name and in big, fat, black letters the app replies " _In love with her brother_ ". He types another name, and another, and another. Every time, without a single mistake, the app replies with a truth that took Izaya days to uncover on his own.

He is more than impressed; and, he thinks that there must be some software that has a pattern recognition program in this app. He frowns and mentally adds that this software also has to have a way to spy people, filter throughout the images that already exist online, throughout various posts, throughout the chat rooms. He thinks that this app can take his job from him, and he is not happy.

But then, it can also make his job a lot easier and he smiles, grins really, white teeth and all. He will use this app to crush his enemies, to find out what he hasn't had a chance to learn on his own.

So, Izaya types the name of his greatest enemy. He could never uncover any huge secret that the monster has. It is just the way his beast is; unpredictable, blunt, honest, and not really human. His smile gets wider.

Izaya, oh so much, wants the app to tell him one secret that Shizuo has, which he does not know yet. So, when he types Shizuo's name, and when the answer is " _Drinks milk before sleep_ ", Izaya is already laughing.

He tries again, and the other secret, that is not a secret, not really, appears. He knows that the monster smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, 37 cigarettes exactly. He beams lightly as he thinks that his info is better. He knows the exact amount while the code of numbers and letters does not. Even if it is petty, he is still more than proud of himself. After all, it took him days and hours of spying to find out that little fact. So, he thinks that he is the better informant than the app is.

He feels the nice and warm feeling of self-confidence inside his chest; and, he decides that he needs to know more.

There is a sense of the curiosity in him, as Izaya moves his fingers faster on his phone, typing his own name this time. He is curious what will the Big Brother have on him. Will it say that he eats fatty tuna, five times a week; or will the app know that he drinks more coffee than the water? Will the app know that he has Celty's head? Or that he will do almost anything to go to Valhalla?

He is waiting the app to respond and he is shivering from all the possibilities. But, as soon as the letters appear on the display, he drops the phone down. The shattering silence follows.

 _No, it must have been a mistake_ \- he thinks. Not only the thing written on his phone is not true; but, it is preposterous, impossible, abominable, despicable... And, Izaya is making a list of adjectives that describe what he has seen. He is dazzled, confused, and scarred. It can't be the truth, even if all the other information that the app has provided were solid. _He would know if he is... -_ he thinks. The end of that sentence cannot be formed even in his mind.

He types his name again; and, the answer is still the same. He does it again, and again, but nothing changes.

Izaya is taking those few steps that divide him from his target. He runs, and he doesn't stop until he is at his computer desk. In the five minutes he destroys the entire web page where he has found the app. In addition, he destroys every copy of the app, sending viruses to the every user's phone. He can't find out who is the creator of the app; but, he is positive that the only copy that is left is on his phone.

He types his name again in the app; however, the answer is not " _Izaya Orihara destroyed the app"._ The answer is still unchanged. The words on his phone are the same as they were five minutes ago.

That night Izaya lies awake in his bed until the dawn comes. With the first sunlight, he knows that everything is true. The black letters still stare at him. He smiles at them, and his smile is sad and all wrong.

On the display of his phone is written " _Izaya Orihara is in love with Shizuo Heiwajima_."

Izaya thinks that his love story won't ever have a happy ending, but if he would type his nemesis name just one more time, he would see those same black, thick letters forming the mirroring words. He would see " _Shizuo Heiwajima is in love with Orihara Izaya_."

Izaya doesn't type Shizuo's name, he doesn't type anyone's name; even though he knows that information is power; or, because he knows that information is power. He doesn't want anyone to know his biggest secret; after all, he hates being vulnerable, and anyone finding out; Shizuo finding out... It will kill him.

He moves his finger across his phone. He clicks once, twice and the message is staring at him:

 _"5:15 AM: You have successfully deleted the app."_


End file.
